Role of ecology in lower-input, sustainable agriculture: An introduction

The papers in this issue of the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture are devoted to the proceedings of a symposium, “The Role of Ecology in Lower-Input, Sustainable Agriculture.” This symposium was sponsored by the Ecological Society of America as a part of its annual meetings with the American Institute of Biological Sciences at The Ohio State University, Columbus, August 10, 1987. The symposium was organized for the purpose of relating ecological approaches and concepts to sustainable agriculture. Additionally, it was our intention to indicate research opportunities for ecologists in agricultural systems.